Dave Darrin's First Year at Annapolis eBook

“It’s a mighty good thing that Darrin
is going to be dropped out of Annapolis,” growled
Henkel to himself. “He’s altogether
too slick in playing a dirty trick on people and then
swinging them around so that they’ll fawn upon
him. When Farley first came here he was a fellow
of spirit. But he’s been going bad for
some time, and now he’s come out straight and
clean for grease-mark!”

Saturday afternoon proved a dull time for Dave Darrin.
The heavy pile of demerits opposite his name prevented
his getting leave even to stroll out into the town
of Annapolis. Dan could have gone, but would
not leave his chum.

Sunday morning there was chapel, but Dave, usually
attentive, heard hardly a word of the discourse.
Sunday afternoon he turned doggedly to his books.
Dan, who was getting along better, and who just now,
stood three sections higher than Dave in math., went
visiting among the members of his class.

Sunday evening all the cadets were again busy at their
studies until 9.30. As early as the regulations
allowed Dave turned down his bed, undressed and got
into it, feeling utterly “blue.”

“It’s no use,” he told himself,
as he lay awake, thinking, thinking, thinking.
“Some one has it in for me, of course.
But Dan and I together can’t find out who the
rascal is. He may try nothing against me again,
for weeks, but sooner or later he’ll turn another
demerit trick against me. Before January I shall
be home again, looking for some sort of job.”

Before eight o’clock the following morning the
class, after muster, broke into sections which marched
away to recitation in math.

Dan Dalzell was now section leader of one group.
Dave marched in the ranks of a much lower section.

This morning the section with which Dave marched was
one man short. Not until the members had taken
their seats, or places at the blackboards, did Darrin
give heed enough to note that it was Farley who was
absent.

The section leader, however, had reported that Mr.
Farley was absent by permission of the head of the
Department of Mathematics, “for purposes of
study.” Unusual as this excuse was the
instructor had accepted it without making any inquiry.

If Farley was in his room for purposes of study, then
what kind of “study” could it be?

For at that precise moment, Midshipman Farley was
standing close to a tiny crack between the edge of
his room door and the jamb. He was “peeking”
out attentively.

Curiously enough Midshipman Page, Farley’s roommate,
had also been excused from attending section work.
At this moment Mr. Page sat tilted back in his chair,
with his feet resting across the corner of the study
table.

A most unmilitary pose for Mr. Page, to be sure.
Yet what need was there to fear report with roommate
Farley thus industriously standing by the door?